Nozzle structure for suction cleaning apparatus



Nov. 19, 1953 SUTTON 2,658,230

NOZZLE STRUCTURE FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Otis BSuZZan BY y S M ATTORNEY.

Nov. 10, 1953 SUTTON 2,658,230

NOZZLE STRUCTURE FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1949 mvszvron. Q Oil's 13. Sutton BY S, M

1 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 10, 1953 NOZZLE STRUCTURE FOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Otis B. Sutton, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 2, 1949, Serial No. 124,993

3 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of suction cleaning apparatus and more particularly to a special nozzle structure incorporating a unique design for the purpose of facilitating and improving the ability of the cleaner to remove dirt and other foreign material from carpets or other long pile surface coverings.

In accordance with my present invention I provide a suction nozzle of the type which is customarily attached to a rigid air conducting and manipulating wand which in turn communicates through a suitable hose with a suction and air filtering apparatus. In the manipulation of the device it is moved in various directions across the surface being cleaned, such as a carpet, with a result that the combined action of the disturbance created by the nozzle and the air rushing through the carpet pile into the nozzle loosens and carries off dirt and other foreign material.

It frequently happens in the course of such cleaning that embedded material and also clinging material, such as threads and lint, are encountered which the normal suction action is unable to separate from the carpet pile. To this end I provide my nozzle with a combing device in the form of a plurality of spaced apart teeth projecting from a portion of the nozzle lip structure and provided. with forwardly facing edges forming an interrupted surface across the nozzle adapted to project into the carpet and engage and loosen such clinging and diflicult to remove material. My nozzle is provided with a means by which the cleaning comb forming element is normally biased to bring the leading faces of the teeth upwardly out of carpet engaging position adjacent to a shielding surface so that they are normally not in use as they are unneeded during ordinary cleaning operation.

I further provide my nozzle with a fioor engaging element operative to shift the carpet combing teeth to a lower, non-shielding position in which they penetrate the nap for the purposes of directing air stream into the deep body of the pile adjacent the carpet backing and also engage and remove clinging material from such pile. The actuating means are in the form of skids engaging the carpet which operate upon the nozzle in response to an excess downward pressure thereon as will be described more fully hereinafter.

Other objects, advantages and constructional features of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the acompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a bottom plan view partly in sec- 2 tion illustrating a suction cleaning tool embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view of the device of Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the apparatus in normal cleaning condition; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the apparatus in its combing or deep pile cleaning condition.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the apparatus comprises a hollow body I provided with a plurality of parallel walls 2, 3 and 4 extending lengthwise of the nozzle body. The space between the walls 2 and 3 defines the suction air passageway into the nozzle which joins with a rearwardly projecting tubular portion 5 in which is swivelled a connecting elbow B for the purpose of detachably receiving the manipulating and suction air conveying wand I.

The bottom edges of the hollow body I terminate in a nozzle plate structure 8 having a central cleaning air inlet nozzle opening 9 formed therein. Adjacent but inwardly spaced from the ends of the plate 8 are supporting wings it positioned above the portions of the nozzle plate which are intended to engage a surface to be cleaned. The supporting plates or wings It are positioned substantially horizontally and are penetrated by securing screws or bolts i i threaded into suitable passageways formed in the nozzle body I so as to secure the parts permanently together.

The opposite end portions of the nozzle plate 8 are depressed as indicated at it to form end skids adapted to penetrate into the body of a carpet undergoing cleaning so as to support the nozzle lips in proper relation thereto. The forward edge of the opening 9 is defined by a depressed lip or bead I4 which forms the surface contacting and disturbing element along the forward edge of the nozzle opening.

The plate 8 is provided with an angular upwardly and rearwardly extending surface I5 at the rear edge of the nozzle opening 5; and above the level of the bead Hi.

The walls 3 and 4 join with transverse end walls 16 to define a chamber ll therebetween. The longitudinal extent of this chamber lengthwise of the nozzle body is somewhat less than the length of the nozzle opening 9, that is, it is positioned inwardly of the ends of the nozzle 9 and of the end supporting skids 12. A shaft 20 is rotatably mounted in the oppositely facing walls l6 within the chamber ll. A drum 2i, of

generally cylindrical shape and provided with a pair of flat, angularly related surfaces 23 and 24 adjacent the rear face of the partition wall 3 is rigidly supported on the shaft 20 within chamber As most clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the surfaces 23 and 24 are positioned to be moved into abutting engagement with the rear face of the wall 3 to allow for limited angular movement of the drum about the shaft 20 and to limit such movement when they engage the said wall 3.

A plate 25, see Figure 2, is secured to the outer surface of the drum 2| by rivets 22, or other suitable means. The plate 25 is provided with a plurality of projecting teeth 26 terminating in forwardly facing front edges 21 spaced a slight distance from the surface formed on the nozzle plate 8. The plate 25 is tapered toward the rear of the nozzle structure to merge into the drum 2|.

A pair of rearwardly and downwardly extending skids 30 are secured to the shaft and drum 2| at opposite ends thereof. The skids penetrate a slight distance into the carpet below the nap surface thereof as indicated by the line'3l which represents the surface of the carpet nap during normal cleaning operation.

Torsion springs 33 are wound around the shaft 20 each having one end engaging its adjacent skid 30 and the other end engaging the rear face of the wall 3 so as to urge the drum 2| and its associated parts to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. The foregoing action tween the fiat surface 24 and the wall 3 thus establishing a limit of clockwise rotation of the drum in which the forwardly edge 2'! of the teeth 26 is closely adjacent to the surface l5 and the leading edges of the teeth 26 are shielded by that surface.

In normal cleaning operation, see Figure 2, the bead l4 of the forward part of the nozzle lip penetrates below the nap of the carpet being cleaned a slight distance as indicated by the line 3|. The end skids |2 which support the nozzle and operating force applied thereto penetrate into the nap. The operating skids 30 for the comb structure also penetrate slightly below the surface of the nap. Under these conditions the reacting forces on the skids are insufficient to overcome the force of the springs 33 hence, the comb structure 26 is slightly above the surface of the carpet nap with the leading edges 21 of the teeth 26 well above the nap and out of position to operate thereon by reason of their close proximity to the shielding surface l5. The bead l4 forms the front nozzle lip. The lower portion of the drum 2| and the tapered rear portion of the plate forms the rear nozzle lip. This is the normal and ordinary operation -of the nozzle as it moves back and forth for cleaning purposes. The strength of the torsion spring 33 is sufficient to maintain the parts in the position in Figure 2 under all ordinary operating pressures.

The condition of the apparatus is that which obtains during normal, straight suction air cleaning use of the nozzle and is adequate and suflicient for ordinary conditions of carpet soil. If deeply embedded or firmly adherent soil, such as thread or fluff, is encountered, the straight suction air cleaning condition of the apparatus may be insufficient to remove the same. To meet these operating conditions the operator applies a greater than normal downward pressure to the cleaning tool through the manipulating wand.

Such excess pressure on the cleaning tool causes the same to sink more deeply into the pile of the carpet and to rock backwardly to a small degree. As the nozzle sinks and rocks as just described, the skids 30 meet sufficient resistance from the carpet pile to rock the drum 2| and its associated parts to the limit set by engagement between the rear face of wall 3 and the surface 23 to convert the apparatus to the condition illustrated in Figure 3.

In the condition of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 3'thecomb is moved out of shielding engagement with the surface I5 and is penetrating the carpet nap, see nap line 3|, so as to engage and pick up deeply embedded and firmly adherentlitter both by the mechanical action of the teeth 26 cutting through the nap well below 'thesurface level thereof and also by the jetting action imparted to air flowing through the spaces between the comb teeth 26 beneath the pile surface of the carpet. This action promotes a highly efficient cleaning action which effectively removes the above specified deeply embedded or firmly adherent types of soil.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a cleaning tool having a comb structure adapted to facilitate removal of deeply embedded and firmly adherent material. The comb is normally biased to an inoperative position in which it is above the normal cleaning plane of the apparatus and the leading edges of the teeth are closely adjacent to a shielding wall so as not to engage the surface being cleaned. The combing mechanism is readily brought into operation by a simple addition of pressure applied to the nozzle structure by the operator to rock the same through a small angle backwardly thus lowering the comb teeth and also removing them from the shielding wall so that they then penetrate the nap of the carpet undergoing cleaning and effectively agitate and remove embedded and adherent soil therefrom.

While I have illustrated and described the invention in considerable detail, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the arrangement, proportion and construction of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning tool for suction cleaning apparatus comprising a body member having a suction air passageway therethrough terminating in a surface treating air inlet nozzle, means forming a downwardly opening chamber in said body member rearwardly of said nozzle, a drum member rockably mounted in said chamber and projecting therebelow, a plurality of comb teeth projecting from said drum member, a torsion spring in said chamber biasing said drum to a first position in which said comb teeth are above the normal cleaning plane of said nozzle and the surface of said drum forms the rear lip of said air inlet nozzle, and surface contacting means connected to said drum projecting rearwardly of said nozzle adapted to rock said drum to lower said comb below said drum to form the rear lip of said air inlet nozzle in response to pressure applied to said body member.

2. A cleaning tool for suction air cleaning apparatus comprising a hollow body having an air passageway therethrough terminating in front and rear surface engaging nozzle lips, one of said lips being fixed to said body, the other of said lips comprising a member having a smooth nozzle lip forming portion and a plurality of projecting teeth forming a surface cleanin comb, means movably mounting said member on said body, means biasing said member to move to a first position in which said comb teeth are above the normal cleaning plane of said nozzle and said smooth portion forms the effective nozzle lip on said member, and surface contacting means connected to said member for moving said member against said biasing means to a second position in which said teeth are lowered into surface engaging position in response to pressure applied to said tool.

3. A cleaning tool for suction air cleaning apparatus comprising a hollow body having an air passageway therethrough terminating in a fixed surface engaging nozzle lip and a shield plate spaced from said lip and terminating thereabove, a drum rockably mounted on said body adjacent said shield plate, a plurality of teeth on said drum forming a surface cleaning comb, means limiting rocking movement by said drum between a first position in which said teeth are adjacent and partially covered by said shield and a second position in which said teeth are removed from said shield and project below said drum and shield into surface engaging position, means biasing said drum to said first position, and skid means connected to said drum projecting rearwardly therefrom adapted to rock said drum to said second position when forced against a surface undergoing cleaning.

OTIS B. SUTTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,025,442 Cranmer Jan. 22, 1935 2,190,329 Leathers Feb. 13, 1940 2,227,298 Cranmer Dec. 31, 1940 2,227,299 Cranmer Dec. 31, 1940 2,314,081 DOW et a1 Mar. 16, 1943 2,495,975 Taylor Jan. 31, 1950 2,500,977 Beede Mar. 21, 1950 

